It really was nice to see Jarrah again, to sit, and be treated well, listened to and respected, by someone I admire so much. As he stalks around the room, muttering to himself, I bow towards him and take my leave. I’m glad I got to fill him in, and I hope that some of the information I brought proves useful in some way. Ah crap. I forgot to ask him to look after Bud. He seems fairly engrossed in his mutterings though. Sighing, I begin wending my way down the Enochian Enclave. Perhaps I could give Bud to Sindred, to make up for accidentally stealing Dirge and Balchar’s Flame? Eugh. I’d rather not though. She’s friggin’ psychotic.

When I nearly trip over a beautiful woman, and we both go tumbling down the stairs, *again*, I catch us both in telekinetic grips. Setting us both on the nearest landing of the staircase, I’m at a loss for words. This woman with almond-shaped eyes radiates an aura of calm, of peace. Her gaze carries the care and concern of a mother for all that she meets. Her eyes are alight the color of coffee with cream. Her thick, straight, hair is worn in a style reminiscent of flower petals. Her delicate, slightly-pointed ears peak out beneath her luxuriously styled dark brown hair. Her wardrobe is flattering as it rests upon her short, extremely compact frame. My emotions and breath catch in my throat as I once more stand before Alanea Whifflewillow.

The several moments that pass before recognition sparks across her face almost hurt. The fact that she turns to flee, does hurt. Sighing, I watch as she runs the opposite direction she’d been heading, in order to evade me. She pauses on the next landing, and facepalms, before slowly walking back my way. Her tightly compact body is nearly forced to hop down each step so as not to topple forward. I’d of course catch her again, no matter how she felt about me.

My face likely hangs slack in its saddened expression. I feel my cheeks and brow drooping, while my jaw is locked tightly back, my mouth not entirely closed. Surprisingly, Alanea asks, “Dearling? You’re so different. Can—. Do you have a moment?”

Gulping down what emotions I can, I nod slowly, dumbly. Alanea barely tugs at my fingertips with hers, not exactly grabbing my hand, but still passing along the sentiment of her desire for me to follow. We wend our way down the staircase, to a familiar room, where she’d once been stacking books. Something happens to my brain as we arrive—.

When I come to, Alanea is asking, “Really?”

Huh? Where’s the room with the books? Something, something was. Books? My brain hurts. As Alanea leaps towards me, I’m forced to catch her in my arms, and catch us in a telekinetic grip to keep from toppling over. Her hug fills me with warmth, and joy. I’m more than a little lost yet though. What is she asking confirmation about?

Thankfully, despite my muteness, Alanea answers, “Yes, yes of course. Well, well Gerald and Flint can handle things here without me, and they’d be honored to take care of Bud for you, and nurse him back to health. And, well, our mission hasn’t changed, but it has stalled out a bit. Well, not stalled so much as, well, as it feels like the eye of a storm passing over, or forming. Erm, well, I’m not sure I’m explaining it right, it feels like something big is coming, but, well, like there’s nothing really to do to prepare, because it’s too mysterious to guess what’s coming.”

As she plops down from my embrace, Alanea leads me by the hand towards the infirmary, almost giddily. Wh—. What’s going on? Did, did I invite Alanea to come with us back to Solace? I, well, I mean, I’m not averse to it. Hell, I’m rather stoked about the idea. Te will tease me mercilessly about it, and Lu might be a bit grumpy for a few minutes before teasing me as well, but, how did this even come about? I remember bumping into her on the stairwell, and now suddenly we’re down near the infirmary, talking as if we’d been conversing for almost half an hour. Scratching my head, I guess I’ll ask for clarification at some point, when my head isn’t so fuzzy and itchy inside.

Hearing a familiar voice call out, “Sakes alive! Shellcracker? Erm, it’s good to see you well. You— are well, aren’t you?”

Snorting back a laugh while smirking, I nod towards Flint Darklace. He’s as dapper as ever, and his resting-creepy-face is as potent as always. His licentious gaze drinks me in as he undresses me with his eyes from bottom to top, where he meets my humorously stern gaze and raised-brow before he quickly averts his own gaze to cough and blush. Shaking my head incredulously, I can’t help smiling as I reach out a hand to grasp his forearm and pull him into a tight embrace.

Thankfully, Alanea takes over catching up Flint for me, which also helps clue me in to what we’d discussed during the period of time that I can’t recall. Flint’s visage becomes one of duty and honor when he’s requested to take care of Bud for me, nurturing Lullaby back to health. It warms my heart when he accepts the task, because Bud needs to stay in the Heart to recover. I don’t know how many years, decades, or centuries it will take for him to return to his full glory. I don’t even know how many months or years it might take before he’s even able to waken slightly at all. I’m sorry if it seems like I’m abandoning you here Bud. You’re a wonderful friend. I’m honored you chose to fight by my side.

The three of us chat, and catch up for a while, though Flint does cast several awkward gazes across Alanea when she mentions she’ll be joining me to aid Solace now that we’re down our primary healer. Those gazes contain longing, lust, virtual undressing, and a true apologetic sorrow. I know they’ve been friends for a very long time, and perhaps on again off again lovers. I hope he doesn’t feel like I’m stealing Alanea away. I want us all to remain friends. Regardless, Alanea and I meander through the Hidden Heart. Well, the Wild Heart, to those that dwell here, mostly, but the Hidden at the Heart of the Wilds for everyone else, or Hidden Heart for short.

I’d forgotten how adorably nervous that Alanea can come across with her affectation of interjecting the word well in almost every sentence. Despite the seeming verbal tic, almost a stutter, she leans warmly up against me as she guides me around, touring the Hidden Heart on our way back to the courts, and the entrance to the ‘Twixt. I’m almost hesitant to reach out mentally for Tiktik, to see if she’s ready, or even wants to try to return to Jeegoobotstan with me.

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Alanea and I stop at her home, and I blush hot enough to weld titanium when she drags me to her bedroom in order to start packing. Even though I avert my gaze, I can’t help catching glimpses of, glp, various clothing articles, and various parts of Alanea’s form as she rapidly changes clothing. Surprisingly, she has some slightly armored articles of clothing that look like they might provide a bit of defense against impact. With how mousey she is, I forget that she’s also one of the Enochian Enclave’s lead operatives. Sighing at the thought, it brings to mind how another wonderful Fae woman, my Kitten, is full of surprises, despite her adorable, prankstery nature. It’s remarkable how serious she can be, and just how powerful she really is.

Still, when Alanea requests that we spend some time here in her bedroom, um, bidding it a fond farewell, my brain fritzes out for a while, completely lost. Coming to, it appears we both need to erm, towel off. As I mentioned when I arrived here, the Heart is pleasantly warm, with that sort of jungle dewy moistness to the air. Now I’m picturing certain glistening sweat I’ve seen on various Fae over the course of my journey across Rayileklia, great. Facepalming, I rattle my skull at myself, trying to stop myself from picturing the smoky-indigo hue of certain portions of Tiktik’s body that I’d started to get used to in the ‘Twixt.

My heart aches at the idea that this might be the last I ever see of my Kitten, yet I want her to find her best happiness. I knew anyone that loved Tiktik as much as it sounded like Littlebit did, couldn’t possibly hate Kitten, or want to never see her again. I was pretty sure Tiktik misread the situation too, because she’s gun-shy on certain topics, emotions, feelings, and so on. She didn’t want to be rejected by Littlebit, so she convinced herself she *was* rejected by Littlebit, so that she had an excuse to run away, and never face the possibility of actually knowing if she truly was rejected.

I’m fairly certain she fled before Littlebit could figure out how she really wanted to respond. I just didn’t want to alienate Tiktik by insisting on things, when I was trying to be supportive of her, through the negative feelings she’d been suffering from the rejection she’d thought she experienced.

Surprisingly, Tiktik cheerily calls across our mental wavelength, “Hey Tiger, you ready yet? Have I got a surprise for you!”

Blinking rapidly, I respond, “I was headed back to see if you were still—. Well, yes I suppose. Alanea and I are both ready.”

My heart stops beating for a while, as my mind rapidly guesses what the surprise could be. I suppose the best surprise would be if Tiktik and Littlebit were coming to help out against the dragons, despite the Aasimovians needing protectors. I’d normally argue against it, but I almost wish it was exactly that, since the Aasimovians technically now have over a dozen dragons protecting them, instead of extorting them.

When we arrive in the courtyard with the rift to the ‘Twixt, I have to fight my surprise at what I see. Tiktik and Littlebit, and a bunch of clanking little automaton creations, are all loaded down with what I can only describe as completely random crap. I feel awful for saying it, but it’s like Littlebit somehow found an early nineteen hundreds scrapyard on Fakeworld, and raided it for anything she thought looked cool. It’s obvious that she’s a tinker though, and a good one at that.

One of her automatons is, well, I can only describe it as a robot dog, or tiger, with cable-tendrils that spark on occasion as they drift or explore their area. Actually, it might be a robot version of a displacerbeast, from Fakeworld’s tabletop gaming stuff. Huh. Yeah. I think it is. Littlebit’s adjusting all of her clanking automatons and folding them up in ways that defy logic as I gaze on at the pair. Rattling my skull, I wave to the lovely Fae ladies awaiting us near the tear to the ‘Twixt.

Grinning wider than I think I’ve ever seen her, Tiktik announces, “Bitty, this is Reggie, my Tiger! You’re gonna love ‘em. I’m sure they’re gonna say yes. If you can do the thingy, then it’ll be even better! Tiger, this is the woman of my dreams, Littlebit! Aint she the greatest, cutest, sexiest little lady you’ve ever seen? Don’t answer that, she’s m—. Sorry, hah, forget me. I’m being dumb. Um, but, um, just, please, please say yes Tiger. Please.”

While my jaw hangs slightly slack, I want to say yes immediately, before even hearing whatever the request is. Turning towards Littlebit though, she thankfully fills me in, “Tikki and I, um, we hashed things out. Thank you for the privacy, um, earlier. Uh, it’s, it’s an honor. I heard you’re kind of a wiz with science, and magic. I was sort of hoping that I could accompany you and maybe learn from you, and help out with whatever you might need. There’s a, well, a theory that I have, well a couple. You see the readings on this? I’m fairly certain they only activate in proximity to rifts to the ‘Twixt. I had a lot of time to study the rift while Tikki was gone.”

Littlebit chokes on her emotions a moment before continuing, “I, I guess I was hoping to find a way to enter, myself, or find a different rift somewhere that wasn’t as strict an entry requirement as this one. Tiktik’s the only one that I know that can even enter. I thought maybe, just maybe if she ran away, she might have found a rift somewhere, and, and—. I just wanted her to be there, and to find my way to her.”

Rattling her skull momentarily, Littlebit gets back on track to add, “I might be able to find other rifts, or, there’s a tiny tiny tiny smidgen of a possibility that I might be able to replicate a rift, in short bursts. I’d need a lot of quality materials and stuff that I don’t have access to here in the Heart. Oh gosh I could probably just ask you to—. That is to say, please?”

Littlebit, like several of my family, and Prinrin, can rattle off speech nonstop without pausing for a breath, leaving me blinking in order to catch up. With Tiktik and Littlebit both pulling puppydog eyes, and both begging with an exceedingly elongated, “Pleeeeease?” my heartstrings are tugged far more than they needed to be. I was already going to acquiesce to any request.

Nodding to the two, I’m beset upon by two incredibly sexy Fae women, nearly toppling over. Thankfully, Alanea helps prop me up, and helps me disentangle myself politely from the flailing, grasping limbs. There are a few, erm, mishaps, but we’re all Fae, it hardly means anything. They might have even been intentional, but no one’s speaking as to the veracity of such claims or accusations. After a few moments of introductions all around, and discussion, we figure out the logistics.

I’m disheartened to remember that Tiktik is actually going to stay with the Aasimovians in Jeegoobotstan. She’s doing that for me, because she has the access to the shop. Still, having Alanea and Littlebit come with me is amazing. We take off into the ‘Twixt, attempting to focus on landing in Nichtshire D’Locke, and thankfully, arrival goes smoothly, as does departure from my ‘Twixt town.

This detour to Jeegoobotstan has re-established my loving relationship with Tiktik, and with Alanea as well. It’s also managed to secure the curing and the cooperation of Zelshiz and a large platoon of Spellknights. Plus, as well, we’ve acquired a dozen ancient dragon consorts, and last but certainly not least, an amazing goblin inventor by the name of Littlebit. Plus, we’ve set up Tiktik and the Aasimovians in such a way as to begin cultivating endless sustainability. If we all make it home safely, this was a massively beneficial side-mission.

I’m only hoping that it was all worth the delay in returning home, when my beloved new family, the Onyx Dawn, are suffering a siege.